The cost of building a new house in Australia has surged over the past few years as supply and trade shortages continue to weigh on the market.
And at the same time, the construction industry has seen a surge in insolvencies as rising labour costs, extreme weather, high material costs and shortages and global supply chain issues forced many to close their doors.
And that means that surviving builders are placing hefty margins on new contracts to ensure they remain solvent.
So how much can you expect to spend when building a house in Australia today?
The answer to this could be summed up with that frustrating yet often accurate phrase:
How long is a piece of string?
There are a number of different factors that can affect the cost of building a house, including but not limited to:
- The size of the dwelling
- The location and availability of resources on the slope of the land
- The quality of the fixtures and fittings
But with this in mind, there are some “ballpark figures” I can come up with, to give you a guide as to how much it may cost you to build a property.
But it’s worth keeping in mind that, when building a new home, the final cost of construction can differ vastly from the expectations set out at the building approval stage, and even at the start of construction.
Why?
There are numerous reasons for cost variation prior to and during construction – for example, costs and contracts may be finalised after council approval is sought or there may be unexpected delays and complications during construction.
To guestimate the cost of building a new home, consider the following:
- 40-45% of costs of the total cost to build is the cost of materials
- 35-40% of the total cost is labour
- There are many taxes and charges, insurance, and overheads
- And the builder would like to make a profit margin of around 15-20%
Why have building costs skyrocketed?
It all started a few years ago with COVID-related restrictions.
Thanks to volatile exchange rates, supply chains being impacted, and reduced productivity due to COVID-19 restrictions, floods and rains, costs have risen and the time to complete projects has dragged out pushing up the cost of construction.
Then there are the supply chain issues around the world due to the Russian-Ukraine war and things are getting worse.
The shortage of materials and labour is likely to significantly increase housing construction costs over the next couple of years.
Currently, the rate of increase in building costs is slowing and the supply chain is stabilising, but the critical shortage of skilled labour, compounded by the collapse of a number of building companies, is still keeping costs elevated.
Let’s start with a look at how building costs have changed around Australia…
The latest CoreLogic – Cordell Construction Cost Index
National
The Cordell Construction Cost Index (CCCI) showed a bounce back in growth in national construction costs, with costs rising 1.0% over the September quarter, in line with the pre-COVID decade average.
The latest increase is up from a 0.5% rise over the June quarter and is the strongest quarterly increase seen from the three months to December 2022 (1.9%).
The 12 months ending September saw costs rise 3.2%, up from 2.6% over the 12 months to June, although down from this time last year (4.0%).
CoreLogic Economist Kaytlin Ezzy said the data would likely put additional pressure on the Federal Government’s target of 1.2 million new homes.
“With the official start date for the Government’s target for 1.2 million new well-located homes over five years kicking off in July, the recent re-acceleration of the CCCI could put additional pressure on an already difficult-to-achieve goal.
Over the year to June, approximately 176,000 dwellings were completed, -26.6% below the 240,000 annually needed to fulfil the target.”
While 250,000 homes remain within the construction pipeline nationally, the sluggish flow of new dwelling approvals suggests a shortfall of projects once the backlog is worked through.”
Source: CoreLogic
The Cordell costings team did not see any specific trends in the market for construction cost materials, with both increases and decreases recorded across the categories.
New South Wales
Across NSW, the CCCI rose 1.0% over the September quarter, up 40 basis points from the 0.6% rise seen over the June quarter and just 10 basis points higher than the pre-COVID decade average of 0.9%.
Annually, NSW saw the largest increase in construction costs among the states, up 3.5% over the 12 months to September
compared to the 3.1% rise seen over the 12 months to June.
Source: CoreLogic
CoreLogic’s Home Value Index showed Sydney dwelling values were up 0.5% over the three months to September, while regional NSW saw values increase 0.4% over the quarter.
As of September 2024, Sydney’s median house value was $1,473,775, while the median unit value was $860,849.
Across regional NSW, the median house value was $769,593, while the median unit value was $610,461.
Victoria
Victoria saw a 0.8% increase in construction costs over the three months to September, up 20 basis points from the 0.6% rise seen over the three months to June but 20 basis points below the pre-COVID decade average (1.0%).
The Victorian CCCI increased by 3.5% over the 12 months to September 2024, up from 3.0% over the year to June.
This was Victoria’s largest annual increase in construction costs since the 12 months to September 2023 (3.7%).
Source: CoreLogic
A high supply of new listings, a less favourable taxation environment, and a higher level of new housing completions over
the long-term relative to other states and territories have put downward pressure on values across Victoria.
Both Melbourne (-1.1%) and Regional Vic (-1.4%) recorded a quarterly fall in dwelling values over the three months to September.
Melbourne’s median house value came in at $925,762 in September, while the city’s median unit value was $612,215.
Across regional Vic, the median house and unit value was $594,591 and $403,993 respectively.
Queensland
At 1.1%, Queensland recorded the highest quarterly rise in construction costs across the states, up from 0.3% over the
previous quarter and above the national growth rate of 1.0%.
This is the state’s largest quarterly increase in the CCCI since the three months to March 2023 (1.2%) and is in line with the pre-COVID decade average.
Despite recording the highest quarterly increase, Queensland’s annual lift in construction costs was the lowest among the states, rising 2.2% over the 12 months to September, up from 1.9% over the 12 months to June.
Source: CoreLogic
The CoreLogic Home Value Index saw Brisbane dwelling values increase by 2.7% over the three months to September, while regional Qld dwelling values rose 2.0% over the quarter.
As of September 2024, Brisbane’s median house value was $973,534, while the median unit value was $661,925.
Across regional Qld, the median house value was $675,321, while the median unit value was $661,792.
Western Australia
In Western Australia, the latest CCCI showed a further 1.0% rise in construction costs over the September 2024 quarter, up from the 0.4% increase seen in the three months to June.
WA’s latest result is in line with the national quarterly increase (1.0%) and is 10 basis points higher than the 0.9% pre-COVID decade average seen across WA.
This is the largest quarterly increase the state has seen since the three months to December 2022 (2.0%).
Annually, Western Australia’s CCCI increased by 2.8%, up from 2.0% over the 12 months to June.
WA continued to record the strongest growth in dwelling values, with Perth and regional WA up 4.7% and 3.6% over the quarter.
Perth’s median house value came in at $830,965 in September, while the city’s median unit value was $572,007.
Across regional WA, the median house and unit value was $547,602 and $354,055 respectively.
South Australia
South Australia saw the CCCI rise by 0.8% over the September quarter, following a 0.5% increase over the three months to June.
The third quarter increase was just 10 basis points below the pre-COVID decade average (0.9%).
South Australia’s 2.5% rise in construction costs over the year to September was up from the 2.3% lift recorded over the 12 months to June.
CoreLogic figures show Adelaide dwelling values were up 4.0% over the three months to September, while regional SA dwelling values increased by 2.3%.
As of September 2024, Adelaide’s median house value was $856,856, while the median unit value was $564,854.
Across regional SA, the median house value was $446,337, while the median unit value was $298,151.
Building costs growth forecast for the year ahead
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Adelaide | 12.5% | 5% | 3.7% |
| Brisbane | 10.5% | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| Canberra | 5% | 4.5% | 3.8% |
| Darwin | 8% | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Gold Coast | 15.5% | 7.5% | 5% |
| Melbourne | 8% | 5% | 3.5% |
| Perth | 9.4% | 5.6% | 4.4% |
| Sydney | 6.9% | 4% | 3.5% |
| Townsville | 12.6% | 8% | 5% |
Source: Domain
New code changes pushed up building costs even more
All residential construction must adhere to comprehensive building codes and standards governed by local and state laws.
Recently introduced new national home building codes designed to ensure more liveable housing and energy efficiency are tipped to drive up the price of an average home by a further $30,000, according to the Master Builders Association.
The changes were introduced from October 1 last year in Queensland and will be implemented from May 1, 2024.
Queensland MBA chief executive Paul Bidwell said the increases come on the back of a sharp increase in the cost to build a new home in the past three years.
“We have supported inclusive, sustainable and affordable housing and been in discussions with government and stakeholders for years – however, in the face of a housing crisis and rising costs, do not believe now is the right time to introduce these changes.”
Average house building costs in Australia
While the stats above suggest the cost to build a new home is not growing as fast as before, for the last few years house building costs across all major Australian markets have been growing faster than inflation.
Disruptions caused by COVID-19 were largely to blame in 2021-22 with global supply chain issues negatively impacting both material delivery and pricing, while state and international border closures led to intractable labour shortages.
Meanwhile, in 2023, the Russia-Ukraine war’s effect on the cost of oil and aluminium, transport blockages, and supply chain shortages had an impact on further price increases.
The average cost to build a house per square metre
BMT Quantity Surveyors’ latest report shows the average cost to build a house per square metre of new single and double-storey dwellings throughout Australia for 2024.
The costs in the table below are for Sydney, but you can still use them as a guide by applying one of the following regional variation percentages.
This will give you an approximate cost for the construction type per square metre in your area.
- Cairns – 110% – 130%
- Brisbane – 95% – 115%
- Sydney – 100% – 100%
- Canberra – 92% – 120%
- Melbourne – 95% – 105%
- Hobart – 95% – 120%
- Adelaide – 95% – 108%
- Perth – 98% – 120%
- Darwin – 110% – 135%
Average costs to build a house
| Construction type | Level of finish | ||
| Low | Medium | High | |
| 3BR weatherboard project home | $1,872 | $2,095 | $2,591 |
| 3BR brick veneer project home | $1,994 | $2,222 | $2,653 |
| 3BR full brick project home | $2,072 | $2,302 | $2,878 |
| 4BR weatherboard home | $2,628 | $2,808 | $3,504 |
| 4BR brick veneer home | $2,792 | $2,924 | $3,680 |
| 4BR full brick home | $3,123 | $3,568 | $3,932 |
| 3BR brick veneer project home | $2,080 | $2,298 | $2,835 |
| 3BR full brick project home | $2,157 | $2,426 | $2,976 |
| 4BR brick veneer home | $2,834 | $3,203 | $3,718 |
| 4BR full brick home | $3,132 | $3,596 | $3,926 |
| Architecturally designed executive residence | $4,157 | $5,322 | $7,444 |
Source: BMT Quantity Surveyors
Average costs to build a townhouse
| Construction type | Level of finish | ||
| Low | Medium | High | |
| 2BR single-level brick veneer townhouse | $2,933 | $3,337 | $3,758 |
| 2BR 2-level brick veneer townhouse | $3,012 | $3,393 | $3,943 |
| 3BR single-level brick veneer townhouse | $2,906 | $3,308 | $3,717 |
| 3BR 2-level brick veneer townhouse | $2,984 | $3,476 | $3,957 |
Source: BMT Quantity Surveyors
Average costs to build units
| Construction type | Level of finish | ||
| Low | Medium | High | |
| 3-level walk-up unit complex | $3,088 | $3,315 | $4,022 |
| 3-level walk-up unit complex | $3,026 | $3,252 | $3,957 |
| 4-8 level unit complex | $3,528 | $3,796 | $4,598 |
| 4-8 level unit complex | $3,449 | $3,717 | $4,522 |
| 8 or more level unit complex | $3,661 | $4,154 | $5,283 |
Source: BMT Quantity Surveyors
Average industrial construction costs
| Construction type | Level of finish | ||
| Low | Medium | High | |
| High Bay Warehouse, standard configuration, concrete floor, metal clad | $1,515 | $1,711 | $1,845 |
| High Bay Warehouse, standard configuration, concrete floor, pre-cast concrete wall clad | $1,860 | $1,966 | $2,191 |
Source: BMT Quantity Surveyors
Average hotel construction costs
| Construction type | Level of finish | ||
| Low | Medium | High | |
| Single-level boutique motel including A/C, guest facilities | $4,896 | $5,601 | $7,363 |
| Single-level tavern/hotel including A/C, excluding loose item fit-out | $4,084 | $4,861 | $5,848 |
Source: BMT Quantity Surveyors
Average office construction costs
| Construction type | Level of finish | ||
| Low | Medium | High | |
| 1-4 level open plan offices | $3,182 | $3,547 | $4,168 |
| 4-8 level open plan offices, including A/C & lifts, excluding fit-out | $3,687 | $3,957 | $5,321 |
| 8 levels and over | $5,277 | $5,572 | $5,827 |
Source: BMT Quantity Surveyors
Average retail construction costs
| Construction type | Level of finish | ||
| Low | Medium | High | |
| Shopping mall | $3,974 | $4,143 | $4,636 |
| Supermarket | $2,516 | $2,687 | $3,012 |
Source: BMT Quantity Surveyors
The average cost to build a house by state
But average building costs per square metre by cities is just one factor to take into account when working out home building costs.
Because the answer is more complicated than it might seem.
That’s because the location, size, and cost of the block it’s built on and the finishes all affect how much it costs to build a house.
So the cost of building a house in Melbourne would be vastly different from the cost of building a house in Brisbane, or even the cost of building a house in Adelaide, Perth, or Sydney.
To give a rough idea, quantity surveyors RLB has also produced a recent report on the price of a home-build per square metre based on different states, which identifies Brisbane as the most expensive city for home building, with the price ranging from $2,500 to $4,500.
Sydney has a lower start price but a higher range, from $2,100 to $6,400, with Melbourne a more modest $2,000 to $4,300.
| City | Cost per square metre | |
| Low | High | |
| Adelaide | $1,740 | $3,800 |
| Brisbane | $2,500 | $4,500 |
| Canberra | $1,840 | $3,650 |
| Darwin | $1,900 | $2,950 |
| Melbourne | $2,000 | $4,300 |
| Perth | $2,200 | $4,100 |
| Sydney | $2,100 | $6,400 |
| Gold Coast | $1,600 | $4,400 |
Source: Rider Levett Bucknall
Average costs to build a new house by the number of bedrooms
So now we have a vague idea of how much it costs to build a house in Australia depending on the cost per metre square, location, size of the block, and even the fittings.
But what about the size?
It’s all well and good to get a ‘per square metre’ indication of price – but how do you translate that into actual costs, to give you an understanding of how much you’re going to pay to construct your new home or investment property?
There’s no point in going to the bank and saying, “I need to borrow $1,190 per square metre”.
They’re going to need a little more info to go on than that!
Builders and architects often use a per square metre (m2) figure to cost a project so this is a good baseline to work from, according to a page cost guide.
The average cost to build a 3-bedroom house
To build a 3-bedroom house you can expect to pay in the region of:
- $1,300 per square metre for a 3-bedroom weatherboard house on a level block, using budget materials
- $1,600 – $1,900 per square metre for a 3 bedroom full brick single level project home, on a level block, using mid-range to high-end materials and finishes
The average cost to build a 4-bedroom house
To build a 4-bedroom house you can expect to pay in the region of:
- $1,900 per square metre for a 4 bedroom single level, brick veneer home on a level block, using budget materials
- $2,400 per square metre for a 4 bedroom brick veneer single-level project home on a level block using mid-range finishes
- $2,900 per square metre for a 4 bedroom full brick two-level home on a level block using top-quality finishes
- $3,900+ per square metre for an architect-designed 4 bedroom full brick, two-level home on a level block using top-quality finishes
The average cost to build a 5-bedroom house or second-story
To build a 5-bedroom house you can expect to pay upwards of $4,300 per square metre.
If you want to know how much a second-story extension costs, expect to be charged anywhere from $1,850 to $3,300 per square metre, depending on the quality and price of the construction materials and inclusions.
So how much can you expect to pay?
First up, the figures I’ve detailed above are just a rough guide, as building costs can vary significantly based on your location, the project design, and the level of the fit-out.
And remember, a builder’s advertised base price is generally only a starting point and does not reflect how much your home will actually cost when it’s 100% completed.
This is because these “starting from” prices usually only include the basics.
If you are looking for a complete price that includes everything from the carpeting through to the landscaping and driveways as well as the white picket fence at the front, then you need to shop around for what’s known as a “turn-key” package – which means all you need to do at the end is turn the key and step inside.
And then there is the added recalculation needed depending on where the property is located, its size, and the quality of finishes.
It’s not as simple as getting one price quote – the cost of building a house varies widely depending on where and what you’re planning to build.
And this is even more so the case in today’s market where the cost of materials is consistently and steadily increasing, almost by the day.
Thanks to Australia’s rising inflation, almost every category of building materials has become more expensive.
For example, prices of steel products surged 42.1% in the year ending March 2022, according to ABS figures.
But then they fell (-1.8%), driven by reinforcing steel (-2.7%), in the third quarter of 2023 due to easing demand from China and reduced demand for new house construction.
And that doesn’t take into account the level of inflation and subsequent price increases which have occurred since March up until today.
The lesson is that prices are volatile.
And then the cost of an architecturally designed home to one built by a volume builder would differ again.
But to give a very rough idea, according to ABS data, the cost of building a house in February last year was $449,436, slightly up from the previous month’s $445,664.
In February 2022, it was $391,937 while in February 2021, it stood at $319,261.
The hidden costs of building a house
As mentioned earlier, there are a number of costs that come into play when building a house.
For a standard brick home without any custom finishes, you may be able to come up with a fairly clear budget.
However, once you start factoring in extras such as landscaping, driveways, retaining walls, fences, upgrades, finishes, and fittings, your costs can increase significantly.
We already know that the breakdown of the costs to build a house would differ depending on the size of the property, location, and finishes, but what about the hidden costs of building a house?
Here are a few costs you might have overlooked.
1. Site costs
These are the expenses that are incurred to prepare your block of land before construction can even commence.
These are usually completed by your builder and in most cases, the site costs are charged on top of the build price.
Some of the typical expenses involved in a site cost can be:
- Connections to services such as water, sewer, electricity, and gas
- Fences
- Retaining walls
- Site clearance (trees, roots, bushes)
- Site survey
- Soil tests
According to the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s (UDIA) 2023 State of the Land report, despite the drop off in new land sales activity the national median lot price rose by 20% to reach $391,546 in 2022, with all capitals except for Perth recording double-digit median price growth.
The report reveals that the most expensive greenfield market, Sydney, recorded an eye-watering 31% increase in median pricing in 2022, finishing with a year-end lot price of $716,381, driven by a spike in the June and September quarter pricing profile.
The ACT recorded a record-breaking 38% lift in the median lot price, to bring the Nation’s Capital to $622,863 and further entrench Canberra as the second least affordable greenfield market in the country.
The high-volume Melbourne market recorded a 17% annual increase in median lot pricing to finish the year at $382,125, 12% higher than the previous peak median land price in 2018.
South-east QLD recorded a 26% annual price uplift to $357,717 which positions the important greenfield market as 50% cheaper than Sydney but is now only 6% cheaper than Melbourne.
The hitherto affordability advantage SEQ held over Melbourne has continued to close since 2018 when there was a 22% pricing differential between the two markets.
Adelaide recorded the greatest single yearly price growth result in a decade with the median lot price escalating by 25% in 2022 to $234,500, meaning the city is now the second-most affordable nationwide.
With Perth’s median lot pricing only growing a moderate 6% in 2022 to $227,750 it has taken over the mantle of Australia’s most affordable capital city greenfield market – the first time it has held this title in over a decade.
2. Other factors that can affect the build price
Once you have signed a contract with a builder and decided on the layout and design of your property, they will make plans and prepare documents, before arranging a ‘pre-start meeting’.
The pre-start meeting is at the stage at which your house plans are finalised.
They are approved by the council and you are ready to make your final choices in regards to all of the design aspects, such as wall colours, the types of light fittings, and the materials used on the roof and on floors.
The ‘prime costs’ are generally already in place by the builder, however, keep in mind that in base contract packages, the prices factored in often account for the cheapest materials, the most basic fittings, and the most standard fixtures.
If you wish to change any of these, you could incur an extra cost.
Some of the parts of the home that you may wish to ‘upgrade’ during this process include:
- Roof: Depending on the materials you choose for your roofs, such as tiles or colorbond, this can vary widely
- Tiling: An allowance for a tiling amount per sqm will be made, but this can change depending on the quality and size of your final choice.
- Fixtures and fittings: Fancy, nonstandard taps, and European appliances will obviously cost more than standard Australian-made fixtures and fittings. Additionally, labour costs may increase if you select items that are more complicated to install. Inclusions such as fully ducted air conditioning can cost up to $10,000 (more for a two-storey home).
- Kitchen: If you’ve ever shopped for a kitchen benchtop, you know how widely the costs of a kitchen upgrade can vary. Again, the final price will depend on the quality of the item you choose and what is in your initial specification in the contract.
- Electrical: If you decide to change your lighting layout from what has been initially drawn, this can add costs. For example, if the specifications in your contract allow for one standard light per room but you wish to have multiple downlights, this extra cost can add up.
3. Extra costs you should allow for
Some extra costs you need to take into account and which could end up costing you a significant amount of money include:
- Soil quality: One of the first things your engineers will organise is a soil test. They do this by drilling some boreholes and the best classification you can get is M classification soil. If your soil is more difficult to work with eg. Clay, Sand or Rock then you’re likely to have to pay extra.
- The slope of the block: The easiest site to build on is a flat block. If your block slopes you’re likely to have to pay extra for more foundations or to cut and fill the site (make it flat) and possibly for retaining walls.
- Flood-prone areas: some sites require the house to be raised with the floor level above natural ground level to cope with excessive rain or floods and this can add to the construction cost.
Learning the lingo
When you go through the process of building a home, you’ll come across plenty of industry jargon that can be tricky to understand – and even trickier to price.
Here are a couple of terms that may be included in your building contract, which are important to understand:
Provisional sums
A provisional sum is an estimated amount of money that is determined by the builder, according to how much they believe the relevant job or material will cost.
Often the builder can’t put a fixed cost on certain parts of the job at the time of providing a quote or signing the building contract because of unknowns.
For example, while your site may look flat and the builder quotes as such when starting the works, they may discover large clumps of rock that need to be removed and levelled prior to the slab being laid.
Or when the builder starts digging your foundations they realise they have to dig down further to hit firm footings, which will eventually require more concrete to be poured.
At times like this, you’ll need to pay an additional sum on top of the initial contract price, as the allowance that had been provided has been exceeded.
Note: It is always a good idea to budget for around 10% of the total build price to allow for fluctuations in provisional sum prices.
Prime costs
A prime cost is an item that is subject to change during the construction of your home.
These include things like fixtures and fittings such as tiles, doors, and taps, as these items may change depending on your final choice.
You’ll find an estimated amount is provided when signing the building contract and then depending on your specification of the finishes during the build, these prime cost items may cost more or less if you elect to change them along the way.
Note: These items generally only change due to your change in preferences, so this could be an opportunity to trim costs if you opt for basic or standard fixtures, fittings, and finishes.
How long does it take to build a home in 2024?
It’s not just prices that have shot up since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the time to complete construction has also blown out.
A renovation that would have previously taken 4 months is now taking 6-8 months, and a new build that would have been 6-8 months is taking more like 12-18 months.
That’s really putting additional pressure on both builders who need the cash flow and the consumers who might be paying rent on one home while the building takes place for another, or who have two mortgages.
Unfortunately, a number of building companies have folded, having signed fixed-price contracts earlier in the pandemic and not being able to complete their contracts.
The problem is that when it comes to the question of ‘how long’, there are just too many variables.
And currently, there are ongoing construction delays associated with COVID-19, only adding to the time taken to build a house.
Then, there are the unforeseen hurdles that always seem to arise when building – things like unfavourable soil conditions such as rock removal, bad weather (of which there has been a lot this year, particularly in NSW and QLD), or waiting for certain permits or approvals.
Having said all of that, the average time to build a two-storey house is currently roughly 8-12 months.
Note: While the cost of building a home has clearly increased, the price of purchasing an established home in Australia has also surged.
And there may be more price hikes to come yet.
The average cost of building a house varies due to a range of factors, including size, location, and quality of fixtures and fittings.
While I’ve tried to give you estimates, the final price will depend on whether you chose a display home that the builder has designed with cost efficiency in mind, or a unique home- your own special castle which has never been built before.
We can assist you to determine what will work best for you and start planning for the lifestyle you want in retirement. Give us a call at 08 8211 7180 or send us an email at info@centramoney.com.au
Article courtesy of Michael Yardney’s Property Update.